The Walking Dead: 11 Questions we need answered ASAP after the break

Julie Sprankles is a freelance writer living in the storied city of Charleston, SC. When she isn't slinging sass for SheKnows, she enjoys watching campy SyFy creature features (Pirahnaconda, anyone?), trolling the internet for dance work...

Is Carol OK? Plus, other pressing questions in the wake of The Walking Dead's mid-season finale

Sunday night's midseason finale of The Walking Dead gave us plenty to ponder until the show's return in February. After all, what would our beloved zombie apocalypse series be without a few cliffhangers?

We expected multiple casualties; there was only one major loss. We thought we might meet the fabled Negan; we were only introduced to his presence in the sneak peek.

With so little to go on, AMC has a lot of ground to cover after the winter break. Here are 11 questions they should kick off the latter half of the season by answering.

1. Is Denise dead?

Image: Gene Page/AMC

I've grown rather fond of "Dr." Denise these last few weeks, and I'm especially curious to see how she and Tara's budding connection might pan out. So I wasn't crazy about the fact that she was snatched by the lone member of the Wolves who Morgan had been holding hostage in the basement. News flash, Morgan — Carol was right all along, and your naivete may have just gotten Denise killed.

2. Can Morgan and Carol make peace?

Image: Gene Page/AMC

This brings us to our next point: Can Morgan and Carol retain any semblance of civility after what went down in that basement? Morgan risked everyone's lives, and who knows what kind of bodily harm he did when he body slammed her. I kind of hope she tells him to look at the flowers come February.

3. Can we trust Spencer?

Oh, how I want to be able to like Spencer. Admittedly, it's partially because I wouldn't mind staring at Austin Nichols more in the near future — after all, he seems to be one of the only men in the zombie apocalypse who bathes with any regularity. But he keeps waffling back and forth between hero and zero. Plus, he probably has some major guilt over Deanna's death given their last convo. This may make him seek vengeance against Rick, whom he'll likely blame for his mother's death.

4. Are Rick and Jessie shipped now?

Image: Gene Page/AMC

Meanwhile, things are going weirdly OK for Rick in the romance department, despite the world crumbling down around him and all. The chemistry between him and Jessie has been palpable from the start; they've gotten passionate and the midseason finale hinted at their closeness. So, you know, are they are or aren't they? Inquiring minds need to know.

5. Will Ron get his revenge on Carl?

Image: Gene Page/AMC

Just because Ron didn't succeed in offing Carl this week, doesn't mean he's done trying. That kid must have a death wish, because he is forever doing dumb things that put him in unnecessary danger. Carl seems to have put Ron in his place for now — but I suspect that won't last long.

6. Will Daryl get his bike and bow back?

Image: Gene Page/AMC

Ugh, watching Daryl's motorcycle and bow-and-arrow get taken (by the very stragglers he'd just saved, no less) was nearly as bad as suffering the loss of a favorite character. When he was robbed, Daryl vowed to "D" and "Honey" that they will regret doing it. Will they? And is "D" short for Dwight, one of Negan's Saviors?

7. Are Abraham and Sasha going to ship up, too?

Image: Gene Page/AMC

They say opposites attract, and never has that sentiment seemed more true in TWD than in the moments it became clear Abraham and Sasha were starting to feel some kind of way about one another. Cue Rosita back in Alexandria at the time, crying on the wall over Abe's absence. Yeah, this could get tricky. Still, I'm very intrigued — particularly since everyone Sasha loves seems to die. Yikes.

8. Is there something sinister going on with Enid?

Image: Gene Page/AMC

I got the chance to chat with Enid's real-life alter ego, Katelyn Nacon, last week. She was sweet, charming... and coy. While she seemed to suggest there isn't anything malevolent about Enid's tendency to wander outside of Alexandria's walls, the jury is definitely still out.

9. When will Negan officially make his debut?

Image: Gene Page/AMC

Thanks to the post-finale sneak peek, we now know that Negan — the big bad of Robert Kirkman's comic book series — will be a reality for Rick and the gang soon. We've now seen several of his henchmen, or "Saviors," but when do we actually get to see TheGood Wife actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan fill Negan's nefarious shoes? It's a moment I simultaneously crave and dread.

10. What's next for the survivors?

Image: Gene Page/AMC

Now that Alexandria has been infiltrated by walkers, will our gang abandon the once-peaceful sanctuary? Will they seek shelter elsewhere, as they did when they lost control of the prison? Regardless of whether or not the survivors physically remain at Alexandria, I can't imagine they will abandon it completely — on her death bed, Deanna passed the torch of Alexandria's legacy to Rick. I think he'll take that responsibility seriously.

11. Why TF doesn't everyone wear meat curtains all the time?

Image: Gene Page/AMC

Bonus question! Last night on The Talking Dead, Kirkman addressed this very question, saying, "Well, look. One, it's not very practical. Coming in close contact with that material is also going to, you know, cause all kinds of illnesses aside from any kind of zombie-related nonsense. So you don't want to be doing that all the time. Two it's not going to last. You would have to be replenishing those zombie guts, because they will dry out and lose their nastiness. They won't smell. It's just not a practical way to go about things." No offense to Kirkman, but I think I'd happily sacrifice a bit of practicality if donning a meat curtain might ensure my survival. What say you?